Lieutenant governor’s race is heating up

Published: Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, August 20, 2010 at 10:35 p.m.

BATON ROUGE — Eight contenders are in the race to replace former Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, who stepped down to take over as New Orleans’ mayor.

Scott Angelle, previously the state’s natural-resources secretary, is filling in temporarily, but voters will need to choose a permanent second-in-command. The election is Oct. 2, with a runoff, if needed, set for Nov. 2.

A poll released earlier this month by Southern Media and Opinion Research of Baton Rouge shows more than 40 percent of voters were undecided and had Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, a Republican from Baton Rouge, leading the pack with nearly 26 percent of the vote.

TravelPAC, a political-action committee made up of private business leaders from the tourism industry, is backing his campaign.

“Given the situation in the Gulf and the uncertainty of the economy, Louisiana’s travel industry needs a strong leader, and that leader is Jay Dardenne,” said TravelPAC Chairman Craig Marinello. He said Dardenne has a background in tourism because he is coming from the Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees some museums and cultural events.

The lieutenant governor is responsible for overseeing the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and promotes travel in the state.

The Louisiana Travel Promotion Association administers the PAC and invited all candidates to address its annual meeting earlier this summer.

Dardenne and fellow Republican Kevin Davis, parish president of St. Tammany, were the only two to show.

The poll from Southern Media and Opinion Research put country-music star Sammy Kershaw, a Lafayette Republican, in second place with 14.6 percent. His biggest strength, the poll says, is name recognition.

Kershaw ran against Landrieu three years ago with a very traditional campaign, but this go around he is playing benefit concerts along the coast. He has also been tapped as a talking head on cable-news networks reporting on Gulf of Mexico seafood safety, among other issues.

One of his top promises is to not run for another office while serving as lieutenant governor.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, who represents Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes in the Legislature, picked up the endorsement of the Louisiana AFL-CIO this week.

The group represents more than 100,000 workers.

“Butch has always been a fighter for the working men and women of Louisiana throughout his career in the Legislature,” said state AFL-CIO President Louis Reine. “I know that he’ll continue to be a champion for our core values and our way of life as lieutenant governor.”

Roger Villere, chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, is promising to work to repeal the state income tax.

Such talk has garnered him the backing of the Lafayette Tea Party.

Melanie J. McKnight is the only other Republican on the ballot. Other Democrats in race include Jim Crowley and Caroline Fayard.

<p>BATON ROUGE — Eight contenders are in the race to replace former Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, who stepped down to take over as New Orleans' mayor.</p><p>Scott Angelle, previously the state's natural-resources secretary, is filling in temporarily, but voters will need to choose a permanent second-in-command. The election is Oct. 2, with a runoff, if needed, set for Nov. 2. </p><p>A poll released earlier this month by Southern Media and Opinion Research of Baton Rouge shows more than 40 percent of voters were undecided and had Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, a Republican from Baton Rouge, leading the pack with nearly 26 percent of the vote. </p><p>TravelPAC, a political-action committee made up of private business leaders from the tourism industry, is backing his campaign. </p><p>“Given the situation in the Gulf and the uncertainty of the economy, Louisiana's travel industry needs a strong leader, and that leader is Jay Dardenne,” said TravelPAC Chairman Craig Marinello. He said Dardenne has a background in tourism because he is coming from the Secretary of State's Office, which oversees some museums and cultural events. </p><p>The lieutenant governor is responsible for overseeing the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and promotes travel in the state. </p><p>The Louisiana Travel Promotion Association administers the PAC and invited all candidates to address its annual meeting earlier this summer. </p><p>Dardenne and fellow Republican Kevin Davis, parish president of St. Tammany, were the only two to show.</p><p>The poll from Southern Media and Opinion Research put country-music star Sammy Kershaw, a Lafayette Republican, in second place with 14.6 percent. His biggest strength, the poll says, is name recognition. </p><p>Kershaw ran against Landrieu three years ago with a very traditional campaign, but this go around he is playing benefit concerts along the coast. He has also been tapped as a talking head on cable-news networks reporting on Gulf of Mexico seafood safety, among other issues.</p><p>One of his top promises is to not run for another office while serving as lieutenant governor.</p><p>Meanwhile, state Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, who represents Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes in the Legislature, picked up the endorsement of the Louisiana AFL-CIO this week. </p><p>The group represents more than 100,000 workers.</p><p>“Butch has always been a fighter for the working men and women of Louisiana throughout his career in the Legislature,” said state AFL-CIO President Louis Reine. “I know that he'll continue to be a champion for our core values and our way of life as lieutenant governor.”</p><p>Roger Villere, chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, is promising to work to repeal the state income tax. </p><p>Such talk has garnered him the backing of the Lafayette Tea Party. </p><p>Melanie J. McKnight is the only other Republican on the ballot. Other Democrats in race include Jim Crowley and Caroline Fayard.</p><p></p><p>Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.</p>